Herm Johnson

Herman Austin Johnson (March 4, 1953 – December 10, 2016), was a driver in the CART Indy Car series, born in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. He raced in seven seasons (1979–1985), with 3535 starts do not include the 1982 Indy 500, as it was not a CART race that year. career starts. He drove in the Indianapolis 500 in 1982 and 1984. He finished in the top ten eight times, with his best finish in 6th position in 1982 at Atlanta.

In 1976, Johnson won the SCCA National Championship at Road Atlanta and was the 1977 USAC Mini-Indy Champion. Johnson had two serious pit fires in 1981 roughly a month apart from each other. Johnson's father suffered a fatal heart attack, just days before the 1982 Indianapolis 500.{{Cite web |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=PYFQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=JBIEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3512,5803947&dq=herm+johnson+father+indianapolis&hl=en |title=Johnson Says Dad was along |access-date=2016-09-20 |archive-date=2020-04-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200421220439/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=PYFQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=JBIEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3512,5803947&dq=herm+johnson+father+indianapolis&hl=en |url-status=dead }} Also during this race, Rick Mears bumped into the back of his car on a lap 183 pit stop. For his next race Johnson, who ran a business painting helmets, trimmed the back edge of his rear wing with the message "Rick...if you can read this, you're too close."

Johnson suffered a serious crash in practice for the 1986 Indianapolis 500. Johnson suffered injuries to his back and neck, and the crash effectively ended his Indy car driving career. After his recovery, Herm was known to occasionally compete in sports car and ice racing events.

Johnson resided in Eau Claire, running a custom painting business, 'Just Herm Designs'. The shop has done work for several Indy 500 winners, IndyCar, and NHRA Champions, as well as amateur racers. The shop specializes in custom paint jobs for helmets, race cars, and motorcycles. Johnson also served as a performance driving instructor{{Cite web |url=http://www.birperformance.com/viewpage.aspx?ID=87 |title=BIR Performance Driving School Instructors |access-date=2008-12-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131224085027/http://www.birperformance.com/viewpage.aspx?ID=87 |archive-date=2013-12-24 |url-status=dead }} at Brainerd International Raceway in Brainerd, Minnesota.

On December 10, 2016, Johnson died from liver and renal failure.{{cite web |url=http://www.racer.com/indycar/item/137110-herm-johnson-1953-2016 |title=You are being redirected... |website=www.racer.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161215022446/http://www.racer.com/indycar/item/137110-herm-johnson-1953-2016 |archive-date=2016-12-15}}

Racing record

=SCCA National Championship Runoffs=

Year	Track	Car	Engine	Class	Finish	Start	Status
class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:90%"
1975	Road Atlanta	Lola T324	Volkswagen	Formula Super Vee	style="background:#DFDFDF;"\| 2	2	Running
1976	Road Atlanta	Lola T324	Volkswagen	Formula Super Vee	style="background:#FFFFBF;"\| 1	3	Running

=Complete USAC Mini-Indy Series results=

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:90%"

! Year

! Entrant

! 1

! 2

! 3

! 4

! 5

! 6

! 7

! 8

! 9

! 10

! Pos

! Points

1977

! Austin Johnson

| style="background:#EFCFFF;"| TRE
{{small|16}}

| style="background:#DFDFDF;"| MIL
{{small|2}}

| style="background:#FFDF9F;"| MOS
{{small|3}}

| style="background:#FFFFBF;"| PIR
{{small|1}}

|style="background:#FFFFBF;"| 1st

|style="background:#FFFFBF;"| 500

1978

! Austin Johnson

|style="background-color:#EFCFFF"| PIR1
{{small|16}}

|style="background-color:#DFFFDF"| TRE1
{{small|5}}

|style="background-color:#EFCFFF"| MOS
{{small|14}}

|style="background-color:#DFDFDF"| MIL1
{{small|2}}

|style="background-color:#CFEAFF"| TEX
{{small|7}}

|style="background-color:#DFFFDF"| MIL2
{{small|5}}

|style="background-color:#DFFFDF"| OMS1
{{small|5}}

|style="background-color:#EFCFFF"| OMS2
{{small|22}}

|style="background-color:#FFDF9F"| TRE2
{{small|3}}

|style="background-color:#DFFFDF"| PIR2
{{small|5}}

|style="background-color:#DFFFDF"| 4th

|style="background-color:#DFFFDF"| 773

1979

| TEX1

| IRP

| MIL1

| POC

| TEX2

| MIL2

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| MIN1
{{small|19}}

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| MIN2
{{small|11}}

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 30th

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 24

=Complete CART Indy Car Series results=

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:90%" ! Year ! Entrant ! 1 ! 2 ! 3 ! 4 ! 5 ! 6 ! 7 ! 8 ! 9 ! 10 ! 11 ! 12 ! 13 ! 14 ! 15 ! 16 ! 17 ! Pos ! Points ! Ref
1979 ! Mergard Racing \| PHX \| ATL \| ATL \| INDY \| TRT \| TRT \| MIC \| MIC \| WGL \| TRT \| ONT \| MIC \|style="background:#CFEAFF;"\| ATL 7 \|style="background:#CFCFFF;"\| PHX 13 \|colspan=3\| !style="background:#CFCFFF;"\| 24th !style="background:#CFCFFF;"\| 98 !{{cite web\|url=https://racing-reference.info/drivdet/johnshe01/1979/R\|title=Herm Johnson – 1979 CART Results\|work=Racing-Reference\|publisher=NASCAR Digital Media, LLC\|access-date=August 17, 2023}}
1980 ! rowspan=2\| Menard Racing \|style="background:#EFCFFF;"\| ONT 14 \|style="background:#ffcfcf;"\| INDY DNQ \|style="background:#cfcfff;"\| MIL 17 \|style="background:#cfcfff;"\| POC 11 \| MDO \| MIC \| WGL \|style="background:#cfcfff;"\| MIL 11 \|style="background:#cfcfff;"\| ONT 13 \|style="background:#cfcfff;"\| MIC 13 \|style="background:#EFCFFF;"\| MXS 14 \|style="background:#CFEAFF;"\| PHX 8 \|colspan=5\| !style="background:#CFCFFF;"\| 24th !style="background:#CFCFFF;"\| 272 !{{cite web\|url=https://racing-reference.info/drivdet/johnshe01/1980/R\|title=Herm Johnson – 1980 CART Results\|work=Racing-Reference\|publisher=NASCAR Digital Media, LLC\|access-date=August 17, 2023}}
rowspan=2\| 1981 \| PHX \|style="background:#efcfff;"\| MIL 22 \|style="background:#efcfff;"\| ATL 22 \| \|style="background:#efcfff;"\| MIC 33 \|style="background:#CFEAFF;"\| RIR 7 \|style="background:#CFCFFF;"\| MIL 13 \| MIC \|style="background:#CFEAFF;"\| WTG 9 \|style="background:#CFEAFF;"\| MXC 8 \|style="background:#CFEAFF;"\| PHX 9 \|colspan=6\| !rowspan=2 style="background:#CFCFFF;"\| 17th !rowspan=2 style="background:#CFCFFF;"\| 38 !rowspan=2\|{{cite web\|url=https://racing-reference.info/drivdet/johnshe01/1981/R\|title=Herm Johnson – 1981 CART Results\|work=Racing-Reference\|publisher=NASCAR Digital Media, LLC\|access-date=August 17, 2023}}
Cannon Racing \|colspan=3\| \|style="background:#cfcfff;"\| ATL 17 \|colspan=13\|
1982 ! \|style="background:#EFCFFF;"\| PHX 19 \|style="background:#CFEAFF;"\| ATL 6 \|style="background:#EFCFFF;"\| MIL 23 \|style="background:#EFCFFF;"\| CLE 13 \|style="background:#EFCFFF;"\| MIC 34 \|style="background:#EFCFFF;"\| MIL 16 \| POC \|style="background:#EFCFFF;"\| RIV 22 \|style="background:#EFCFFF;"\| ROA 17 \| MIC \| PHX \|colspan=6\| !style="background:#CFCFFF;"\| 26th !style="background:#CFCFFF;"\| 24 !{{cite web\|url=https://racing-reference.info/drivdet/johnshe01/1982/R\|title=Herm Johnson – 1982 CART Results\|work=Racing-Reference\|publisher=NASCAR Digital Media, LLC\|access-date=August 17, 2023}}
1983 ! \| ATL \|style="background:#FFCFCF;"\| INDY DNQ \| MIL \|style="background:#CFCFFF;"\| CLE 16 \|style="background:#EFCFFF;"\| MIC 24 \|style="background:#FFCFCF;"\| ROA DNQ \| POC \| RIV \|style="background:#EFCFFF;"\| MDO 17 \| MIC \| CPL \| LAG \| PHX \|colspan=4\| !style="background:#CFCFFF;"\| 42nd !style="background:#CFCFFF;"\| 0 !{{cite web\|url=https://racing-reference.info/drivdet/johnshe01/1983/R\|title=Herm Johnson – 1983 CART Results\|work=Racing-Reference\|publisher=NASCAR Digital Media, LLC\|access-date=August 17, 2023}}
rowspan=3\| 1984 ! Menard Racing \| LBH \| PHX \|style="background:#CFEAFF;"\| INDY 8 \|style="background:#cfcfff;"\| MIL 18 \| POR \| MEA \| CLE \| MIC \| ROA \| POC \|colspan=7\| !rowspan=3 style="background:#CFCFFF;"\| 32nd !rowspan=3 style="background:#CFCFFF;"\| 5 !rowspan=3\|{{cite web\|url=https://racing-reference.info/drivdet/johnshe01/1984/R\|title=Herm Johnson – 1984 CART Results\|work=Racing-Reference\|publisher=NASCAR Digital Media, LLC\|access-date=August 17, 2023}}
Pace Racing \|colspan=10\| \|style="background:#efcfff;"\| MDO 23 \|colspan=6\|
Jet Engineering \|colspan=11\| \|style="background:#ffcfcf;"\| SAN DNQ \| MIC \| PHX \| LAG \| CPL \|
rowspan=2\| 1985 ! Menard Cashway Lumber \| LBH \|style="background:#ffcfcf;"\| INDY DNQ \| MIL \| POR \| MEA \| CLE \| MIC \|colspan=10\| !rowspan=2 style="background:#CFCFFF;"\| 39th !rowspan=2 style="background:#CFCFFF;"\| 1 !rowspan=2\|{{cite web\|url=https://racing-reference.info/drivdet/johnshe01/1985/R\|title=Herm Johnson – 1985 CART Results\|work=Racing-Reference\|publisher=NASCAR Digital Media, LLC\|access-date=August 17, 2023}}
Leader Card Racing \|colspan=7\| \|style="background:#CFEAFF;"\| ROA 12 \| POC \|style="background:#efcfff;"\| MDO 24 \| SAN \| MIC \| LAG \| PHX \| MIA \|colspan=2\|
1986 ! Team Menard \| PHX \| LBH \|style="background:#ffcfcf;"\| INDY {{small\|DNQ}} \| MIL \| POR \| MEA \| CLE \| TOR \| MIC \| POC \| MDO \| SAN \| MIC \| ROA \| LAG \| PHX \| MIA ! NC ! - !{{cite web\|url=https://racing-reference.info/drivdet/johnshe01/1986/R\|title=Herm Johnson – 1986 CART Results\|work=Racing-Reference\|publisher=NASCAR Digital Media, LLC\|access-date=August 17, 2023}}

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:90%"

! Year

! Entrant

! 1

! 2

! 3

! 4

! 5

! 6

! 7

! 8

! 9

! 10

! 11

! 12

! 13

! 14

! 15

! 16

! 17

! Pos

! Points

! Ref

1979

! Mergard Racing

| PHX

| ATL

| INDY

| TRT

| MIC

| WGL

| TRT

| ONT

| MIC

|style="background:#CFEAFF;"| ATL
7

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| PHX
13

|colspan=3|

!style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 24th

!style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 98

!{{cite web|url=https://racing-reference.info/drivdet/johnshe01/1979/R|title=Herm Johnson – 1979 CART Results|work=Racing-Reference|publisher=NASCAR Digital Media, LLC|access-date=August 17, 2023}}

1980

! rowspan=2| Menard Racing

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| ONT
14

|style="background:#ffcfcf;"| INDY
DNQ

|style="background:#cfcfff;"| MIL
17

|style="background:#cfcfff;"| POC
11

| MDO

| MIC

| WGL

|style="background:#cfcfff;"| MIL
11

|style="background:#cfcfff;"| ONT
13

|style="background:#cfcfff;"| MIC
13

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| MXS
14

|style="background:#CFEAFF;"| PHX
8

|colspan=5|

!style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 24th

!style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 272

!{{cite web|url=https://racing-reference.info/drivdet/johnshe01/1980/R|title=Herm Johnson – 1980 CART Results|work=Racing-Reference|publisher=NASCAR Digital Media, LLC|access-date=August 17, 2023}}

rowspan=2| 1981

| PHX

|style="background:#efcfff;"| MIL
22

|style="background:#efcfff;"| ATL
22

|style="background:#efcfff;"| MIC
33

|style="background:#CFEAFF;"| RIR
7

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| MIL
13

| MIC

|style="background:#CFEAFF;"| WTG
9

|style="background:#CFEAFF;"| MXC
8

|style="background:#CFEAFF;"| PHX
9

|colspan=6|

!rowspan=2 style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 17th

!rowspan=2 style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 38

!rowspan=2|{{cite web|url=https://racing-reference.info/drivdet/johnshe01/1981/R|title=Herm Johnson – 1981 CART Results|work=Racing-Reference|publisher=NASCAR Digital Media, LLC|access-date=August 17, 2023}}

Cannon Racing

|colspan=3|

|style="background:#cfcfff;"| ATL
17

|colspan=13|

1982

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| PHX
19

|style="background:#CFEAFF;"| ATL
6

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| MIL
23

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| CLE
13

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| MIC
34

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| MIL
16

| POC

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| RIV
22

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| ROA
17

| MIC

| PHX

|colspan=6|

!style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 26th

!style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 24

!{{cite web|url=https://racing-reference.info/drivdet/johnshe01/1982/R|title=Herm Johnson – 1982 CART Results|work=Racing-Reference|publisher=NASCAR Digital Media, LLC|access-date=August 17, 2023}}

1983

| ATL

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"| INDY
DNQ

| MIL

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| CLE
16

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| MIC
24

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"| ROA
DNQ

| POC

| RIV

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| MDO
17

| MIC

| CPL

| LAG

| PHX

|colspan=4|

!style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 42nd

!style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 0

!{{cite web|url=https://racing-reference.info/drivdet/johnshe01/1983/R|title=Herm Johnson – 1983 CART Results|work=Racing-Reference|publisher=NASCAR Digital Media, LLC|access-date=August 17, 2023}}

rowspan=3| 1984

! Menard Racing

| LBH

| PHX

|style="background:#CFEAFF;"| INDY
8

|style="background:#cfcfff;"| MIL
18

| POR

| MEA

| CLE

| MIC

| ROA

| POC

|colspan=7|

!rowspan=3 style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 32nd

!rowspan=3 style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 5

!rowspan=3|{{cite web|url=https://racing-reference.info/drivdet/johnshe01/1984/R|title=Herm Johnson – 1984 CART Results|work=Racing-Reference|publisher=NASCAR Digital Media, LLC|access-date=August 17, 2023}}

Pace Racing

|colspan=10|

|style="background:#efcfff;"| MDO
23

|colspan=6|

Jet Engineering

|colspan=11|

|style="background:#ffcfcf;"| SAN
DNQ

| MIC

| PHX

| LAG

| CPL

rowspan=2| 1985

! Menard Cashway Lumber

| LBH

|style="background:#ffcfcf;"| INDY
DNQ

| MIL

| POR

| MEA

| CLE

| MIC

|colspan=10|

!rowspan=2 style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 39th

!rowspan=2 style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 1

!rowspan=2|{{cite web|url=https://racing-reference.info/drivdet/johnshe01/1985/R|title=Herm Johnson – 1985 CART Results|work=Racing-Reference|publisher=NASCAR Digital Media, LLC|access-date=August 17, 2023}}

Leader Card Racing

|colspan=7|

|style="background:#CFEAFF;"| ROA
12

| POC

|style="background:#efcfff;"| MDO
24

| SAN

| MIC

| LAG

| PHX

| MIA

|colspan=2|

1986

! Team Menard

| PHX

| LBH

|style="background:#ffcfcf;"| INDY
{{small|DNQ}}

| MIL

| POR

| MEA

| CLE

| TOR

| MIC

| POC

| MDO

| SAN

| MIC

| ROA

| LAG

| PHX

| MIA

! NC

! -

!{{cite web|url=https://racing-reference.info/drivdet/johnshe01/1986/R|title=Herm Johnson – 1986 CART Results|work=Racing-Reference|publisher=NASCAR Digital Media, LLC|access-date=August 17, 2023}}

= Indianapolis 500 results =

class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;"
Year ! Chassis ! Engine ! Start ! Finish
1980 \| Lightning \| Offy \| colspan=2\|Failed to Qualify
1981 \| Lightning \| Chevrolet \| colspan=2\|Failed to Qualify
1982 \| Eagle \| Chevrolet \| 14th \| 9th
1983 \| March \| Chevrolet \| colspan=2\|Failed to Qualify
1984 \| March \| Cosworth \| 9th \| 8th
1985 \| March \| Cosworth \| colspan=2\|Failed to Qualify
1986 \| March \| Cosworth \| colspan=2\|Practice Crash

class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;"

Year

! Chassis

! Engine

! Start

! Finish

1980

| Lightning

| Offy

| colspan=2|Failed to Qualify

1981

| Lightning